1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to extending Ethernet technology. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of treating a handover in a bridge-based radio access station backbone network that employs Ethernet technology.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ethernet is a networking technology most generally used for LANs (Local Area Networks). The simple structure and generality of Ethernet technology has spurred innovations to extend its applicability for both very small LANs and WANs (Wide Area Networks). FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram that illustrates the structure of an example of the conventional WiBro (wireless broadband) radio access station backbone network, which comprises a plurality of RASs (Radio Access Stations) 10 and a plurality of ACRs (Access Control Routers) 12. The WiBro network includes a home agent (not shown) for supporting the IP (Internet Protocol) mobility of a terminal, and an AAA (Authentication, Authorization and Accounting) server 14 for performing the authentication, authorization and accounting of the users and terminals in order to provide network access and services to authorized users.
The RASs 10 are allotted with respective service cells, each RAS providing communication services for a variety of types of customer equipment 11, such as mobile communication terminal, PDA, and a notebook device. The RAS 10 serves to mediate signals between the mobile communications terminal 11 through radio channels. In addition, the RAS 10 is connected through a wired channel to an ACR (Access Control Router) 12 forming an IP subnet. The wirelessly transmitted signal from the terminal 11 is packaged by the RAS 10 into an IP packet transferred to an upper ACR 12′, which switches the IP packet to another ACR 12″ adjacent to the target terminal according to the IP address of the target terminal. Thus, the conventional RAS backbone network performs communication services by transmitting the IP packets to the target designated by an IP address.
However, the conventional RAS backbone network has been structured chiefly by employing three-tiered routers, relatively complicated to the point that results in ineffective network control, including delayed handover because of three-tiered handover operations.